The power of an anchor in stormy seas
By Merle Shenk
Picture this: You’re out on the water in a 45-year-old boat, the engine sputters and dies, and suddenly you’re drifting toward the open sea with no control. Panic sets in as you realize you’re completely at the mercy of wind and tide. This was my reality not too long ago, and in that moment of helplessness, I learned something profound about what it means to have an anchor.
When that boat motor failed and I found myself drifting toward the inlet, my only option was to throw out the anchor. It didn’t stop the waves from rocking us or eliminate the wind, but it kept us from being swept away into dangerous waters. We might have moved up and down, even swayed in circles around that anchor point, but we stayed positioned and safe.
This experience became a living metaphor for something the Bible teaches us about hope. In Hebrews 6:19, Scripture tells us that “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Just like that physical anchor kept my boat from drifting into perilous waters, hope serves as the anchor that keeps our souls steady when life’s storms threaten to overwhelm us.
What Happens When We Lose Our Anchor
In the 1950s, psychologist Curt Richter conducted a fascinating experiment with rats that reveals the incredible power of hope. He placed domesticated rats in buckets of water and timed how long they would swim before giving up. Most swam for hours, some even for days. But when he tried the same experiment with wild rats—who were naturally better swimmers and more resilient—something shocking happened. They gave up within minutes.
Intrigued by this unexpected result, Richter modified the experiment. This time, just as the rats were about to give up and drown, he reached in and saved them. He resuscitated them, helped them recover, then placed them back in the water. The results were astounding: these same rats that had previously given up in minutes now swam for days. Why? Because they had experienced rescue once, they believed rescue was possible again. They had hope.
Hope Is Not Wishful Thinking
Biblical hope isn’t positive thinking or denial of reality. It’s not about pretending everything is fine when it’s clearly not. True hope is anchored in something solid and unchanging: the character and promises of God. When Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he described Jesus Christ as “our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1). Hope isn’t just an idea or feeling; it’s a Person.
This kind of hope doesn’t depend on our circumstances looking good or our feelings being positive. It’s rooted in the unchanging nature of God and His faithfulness throughout history. When we study Scripture, we see story after story of God’s people facing impossible situations, yet finding their anchor in who God is rather than what they could see with their eyes.
Abraham’s Contrary Hope
Abraham provides us with one of the most powerful examples of anchored hope. Romans 4:18 tells us that “contrary to hope, in hope he believed.” In other words, when everything looked hopeless from a human perspective, Abraham chose to hope anyway. He was nearly 100 years old, Sarah was barren, yet God had promised they would become the parents of many nations.
From any logical standpoint, Abraham’s hope seemed foolish. But he understood something crucial: hope anchored in God’s character and promises can withstand any storm of contrary evidence. His hope wasn’t based on his ability to make something happen, but on God’s ability to keep His word.
The Foundation Faith Builds On
Here’s something many people don’t realize: hope is actually the foundation upon which faith operates. While faith is specific—”I have faith for this particular outcome”—hope is more general. It’s the underlying confidence that says, “I don’t know exactly how this will work out, but I know it’s going to be okay because God is in control.”
Think about it this way: before you can have faith to start a business, get married, or step into any new venture, you need the underlying hope that God is good and that following Him leads to good outcomes. Hope creates the stable platform from which specific acts of faith can launch.
When Creation Itself Groans with Hope
Romans 8 gives us insight into something profound: even creation itself is longing and hoping for something better. Paul writes that “the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” That restless feeling you sometimes have—that sense that there must be something more—that’s not depression or dissatisfaction. It’s hope.
We were created for the Garden of Eden, for perfect relationship with God, for a world without brokenness, pain, or death. The longing in our hearts isn’t a flaw; it’s evidence that we’re made for something greater than what we currently experience. This holy dissatisfaction keeps us moving forward, keeps us growing, keeps us believing that our best days aren’t behind us but ahead of us.
Remembering Your Story with God
One of the most practical ways to maintain hope is found in Lamentations 3:21. “This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope.” The writer intentionally remembers God’s faithfulness, and this remembering produces hope. We need to regularly rehearse our own stories of God’s faithfulness.
Think back to times when you didn’t know how things would work out, but God made a way. Remember seasons when you thought you were heading in the opposite direction of God’s promises, only to discover later that He was orchestrating something beautiful behind the scenes. The enemy wants you to forget these stories because your history with God is one of your strongest anchors. ✨
Hope that Others Can See
First Peter 3:15 instructs us to “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” This suggests that our hope should be visible enough that people notice it and want to know more. When you maintain hope in the midst of challenges, when you continue to speak faith instead of fear, when you refuse to be moved by temporary circumstances, people take notice.
Your steadfast hope becomes a testimony to others who are struggling. It becomes a light in their darkness, showing them that there’s another way to navigate life’s storms. Your anchored soul can help others find their own anchor.
The Power of the Holy Spirit and Hope
Romans 15:13 contains one of the most beautiful prayers in Scripture: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Notice that when the power of the Holy Spirit is present, we don’t just experience miraculous signs and wonders—we abound in hope.
This means that supernatural hope is available to us. We don’t have to manufacture positive feelings or talk ourselves into optimism. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead can fill us with hope that transcends our circumstances and understanding.
Choosing Hope When Feelings Fail
Here’s the truth many people miss: hope is not a feeling, it’s a choice. Just like that anchor on my boat worked whether I felt confident or panicked, hope anchors your soul whether your emotions are steady or chaotic. You can choose to hope even when you don’t feel hopeful.
This choice becomes especially powerful during seasons of uncertainty. One youth speaker recently pointed out that all anxiety is rooted in uncertainty—the fear of not knowing what’s coming next. But when we choose hope, we’re essentially saying, “I don’t know what’s coming, but I know Who holds the future, and that’s enough.”
Your Anchor Holds
Life will bring storms. The winds will blow, the waves will rock your boat, and there will be moments when you feel like you’re about to be swept away. But if your hope is anchored in the unchanging character of God, in His proven faithfulness, and in His promises that never fail, you will not drift into dangerous waters.
You might sway, you might feel the motion of the waves, but your anchor holds. And just like those rats who had been rescued once and therefore believed rescue was possible again, you can keep swimming because you know that your God is the God of rescue, the God of hope, the God who makes a way when there seems to be no way.
Today, I want to encourage you to check your anchor. Is your hope firmly secured in Christ, or have you been trying to find stability in circumstances that shift like sand? Choose hope. Speak hope. Live hope. Let it be the foundation from which your faith operates and the steady force that keeps you positioned for God’s purposes, no matter what storms may come.
More from Merle Shenk
Walking in the power of God’s abundant supply Packed with real-life stories, biblical insights, and practical wisdom, this book reveals that grace is walking in divine empowerment every day. Through testimonies of breakthrough, restoration, and supernatural provision, Great Grace demonstrates how God’s undeserved favor is actively at work in your life.
